Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and the 'Afterlife with Archie' comic book Elyse Jankowski/Getty Images; Courtesy of Disney Logo text The creative team behind Riverdale is heading back to the Archie Comics locale, albeit to tell a very different kind of story.
Disney+ has greenlit a series based on the Afterlife With Archie comic book, in which Riverdale is overrun by zombies. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa will serve as showrunner on the adaptation of his and Francesco Francavilla’s comic and executive produce with Jimmy Gibbons (via their Muckle Man Productions); Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Leigh London Redman of Berlanti Productions; and Jon Goldwater of Archie Comics Studios. It’s slated for a fall 2027 premiere.
Related Stories
TV How 'Descendants 5' Ventures Further Into the World of Wonderland and Introduces New Characters (Hello, Chessy the Cat!)
TV 'The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen' Movie Greenlit at Disney; Raven-Symoné, Adrienne Bailon Return Alongside New Cast
Warner Bros. TV, where Aguirre-Sacasa and Berlanti have overall deals, is the studio. Afterlife With Archie is also a relatively rare series pickup for Disney+ from an outside studio.
“This was the comic book that started it all. Before there was a Riverdale, before there was a Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, there was Afterlife with Archie, which I collaborated on with the best horror artist in the business, Francesco Francavilla,” said Aguirre-Sacasa. “Getting to turn Afterlife into a TV series for the amazing team at Disney+ with our incredible partners at Berlanti Productions, WB and, of course, Jon and his Archie family is truly a full-circle moment — and the ultimate dream project for me.”
Afterlife With Archie will “turn the all-American town of Riverdale into a zombie-overrun apocalypse,” according to the show’s description. A supernatural spell from a certain teen witch backfires, unleashing a horde of the possessed dead on Riverdale. Archie and his friends fight to stay alive, testing their friendships, romances and loyalties.
The comic was first published in 2013 to strong reviews. A deluxe edition collecting all 10 issues is due for publication in October.
“Afterlife With Archie has always been about more than just zombies — it’s about the friendships, loyalty and humanity that make Riverdale worth fighting for,” said Ayo Davis, president of Disney Kids & Family. “Roberto, Greg, Sarah and Jon have such a deep appreciation for these characters, and they’ve built something that’s equal parts thrilling and heartfelt. Fans are going to fall hard for this new version of the gang … and maybe scream a little too.”
Said Berlanti and Schechter in a joint statement, “We are so happy to reunite with Roberto on this exciting series that takes us back into the Riverdale world that we so love, and we are thankful to Disney+ and WBTV for giving us the opportunity to revisit some of our favorite characters in a unique and thrilling way. A special thank you to Jon Goldwater for letting us continue to play within the beloved Archie universe and trusting us to bring Archie’s various stories to life.”
Disney+ put Afterlife in development late last year. The series is a reunion for Aguirre-Sacasa and Berlanti Productions, who previously worked together on Riverdale (which ran for seven seasons on The CW) and its one-season spinoff Katy Keene and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (four seasons on Netflix). Aguirre-Sacasa was also a writer and consulting producer on the first season of the Berlanti-produced Supergirl.
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day
Subscribe Sign Up
